It will be a big mistake for the future health care of patients if the Chase Farm Hospital estate land is sold because it can’t be replaced.

A massive amount of house building is proposed in Enfield and south Hertfordshire to accommodate a growing population. Five hundred homes on this site alone means far more than 500 people, when we already know Barnet and North Middlesex Hospitals are working at full and over capacity now.

You wonder where is the logic behind these short-term proposals.

We hear of wonderful community health centres with GPs with diagnostic equipment nearer to home to save you going to hospital, but where are they all to take the strain away from hospitals, are we all miraculously never to be seriously ill?

Any fool knows that to accommodate thousands of extra people you need the public infrastructure that supports them and the current population.

The prefabricated flat-roofed buildings that are proposed, that are flexible to add to or take away, with a 20-year life span, do not give any confidence for a future health care service.

I recently learnt that Cheshunt Community Hospital, which deals with minor health needs, that Broxbourne council contributed £1million-plus too, does not provide blood tests for those using the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, one wonders why not, is this the future competition between hospitals? Granted some GP surgeries may provide blood tests, but then only on particular days of the week.

It needs to be said things are not going in the right direction.

Ivy Beard

Littlebrook Gdns, Cheshunt